An Ocean Away

Summary:
Twins Ansel and Allegra live very different lives. Ansel lives in Forks, eagerly anticipating the day he will become a werewolf. Allegra lives in Volterra, loving the life of a Volturi guard member. The problem is, they have no idea they're related.
Part four in the Twist of Fate series.

4. Allegra: Embarrassing

Demetri rushed into the room, followed closely by Jane. She must have known what was going on, too. She had been with the Volturi for ages before I got there.

I stood up and pointed at the computer. “What is this?” I whispered.

“What is what?” Demetri asked smoothly.

Jane crossed the room and took my hand. “Come on, Allegra. Let's go get the hair dye... remember?” She was trying to distract me.

I shook my head. “Allegra Ava Black, daughter of Jack and Axelle Black, was born in Forks, Washington,” I whispered. “And I have a twin.” The hand that Jane held shook.

“Allegra... we couldn't tell you,” insisted Demetri.

“Yes. Aro told us it was forbidden,” said Jane, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I ripped my hand from hers, and quickly moved to sit in front of the fire. It danced playfully in the hearth, and for one moment I wondered if it would hurt too terribly if I were to touch it. Sure, I'd heard all the horror stories, but I just wondered... I kept myself from reaching out.

Jane was behind me in an instant. She ran her hands through my hair. In public, and around the rest of the guard, Jane was quiet, and obeyed Aro's every word. She was tough, strict, and completely different from how she was in private. When she was around Demetri and I, she felt like she could relax. She really was just a girl at heart, and she loved having someone accept her for her soft side, and not her increadibly scary and painful side.

Demetri sat beside me. “Allegra, I know you're curious about it and everything, but don't even think about touching that fire.”

I smiled. My friends knew me so well. “Why didn't you tell me?” I asked, much more calm than I was just moments before.

“We don't live like them,” he answered, shrugging.

I frowned. “That's not a very good reason at all.”

“It's good enough for Aro,” sighed Jane. She had braided my hair three times in the past minute.

“How did I even get here? I don't remember them,” I admitted.

Demetri looked behind me, towards Jane, and they shared a look. Jane got up and left the room without a word. Demetri put his arm around me.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

I nodded.

He pulled me in closer. I rested my head against his shoulder. “When your mother was young, she was raised by the other coven of vampires. They are called the Cullens, and they live in the United States. She was a human, and as you know, humans are a threat. She could have exposed the entire race. One of the vampires there, Edward is his name, is always up for initiation into the Volturi. Aro asks him to join every few years. He accidentally shook Aro's hand on his last visit. Everything about Axelle was exposed. Aro was livid, and was prepared to send out a team to eliminate her immediately. Edward said he would save us a trip. He'd bring the girl to us. He made good on his promise, and a few weeks later, he brought Axelle to Volterra.

“Aro gave her the choice to become a vampire, of course. We didn't need the Cullens as our enemies. We were all set to change her when Marcus saw that she had a relationship that we could not break. It was the relationship between a mother and her child... children, actually. She was having twins. We didn't tell her. She promised to return after you guys were settled. Aro threatened her, of course... She would have to return.

“When you and your brother were only three months old, Aro called your mom. He made sure that the rest of the family was out of town. It was only your mom, dad, brother, and you. They came as soon as possible. Aro told her that he could pick off each member of her family one by one if she didn't. She had no choice but to bring both of you. She got off of the plane first, and she had you in her arms.” He paused.

“Keep going,” I breathed.

“You're not going to like this,” he admitted. The firelight cast shadows across his face.

“I figured.”

“When she got off the plane, Felix took your mother while I held you. We led her to the car. She was... distraught. I will never forget her face. The look of absolute heartbreak was maddening. In the car she asked to hold you. I convinced Felix that it was okay. We even let her call your dad, Jack was his name, and tell him to stay away. When we got to the judging room, Aro told her that there was no hope. He told me to take you away while he did the dirty work. I stayed with you, completely mortified, for the three days while your mother was changed. I had no idea what to do with a baby! After awhile, Jane took you. I knew she wanted to raise herself a little friend, so she was the one who probably had the biggest hand in raising you.”

Demetri was strangely absent for a large portion on my life. It was just in the last three years that he and I had actually become close. In some ways, we were closer than Jane and I were. I talked to him about literature, about science, current events, everything we could think of. When I looked at him, I couldn't help but feel a little giddy. He was the only person who ever made me feel like I was more than a little plaything.

“I remember.” My first memory was playing patty cake with Jane. She laughed, and I laughed, and it was one of the sweetest memories I had. “What happened then?”

“Her grandfather and dad came to pick her up. She tried to get you back, but they convinced her not to. They told her it'd end up hurting the entire family. We were too powerful for them. She took your brother...”

“Ansel,” I provided.

“Ansel, and they have raised him in Forks ever since,” he finished.

“And they haven't even come looking for me?” I asked hotly.

“They thought you were dead,” he murmured.

“But I'm not! We have to go show them I'm not!” I stood up and started walking to the door.

I spun around to face him. “You tell me that my real family is out there, and that they don't even have to eat people, and you think I'm not going to go?”

“You can't even remember them...” there was something wrong. He looked right into my eyes.

“But, they are my family.”

“No, Allegra. Felix, Jane, and I are your family.” He didn't mention Aro. Even though we never said it, we never really enjoyed Aro. We were deeply loyal to him, but he was a demanding, attention-seeking, power maniac. It was a hard relationship.

I looked away from his gaze. I felt guilty. I didn't remember them, but that didn't mean I was curious. I still wanted to see them, my real family.

“Please?” I asked, still looking at my feet. “You know I love you guys... but I just need to know.”

He tilted my chin up with his finger. He looked at me for a moment. “Fine,” he said quietly.

I had the sudden urge to kiss him. I had never, ever kissed anyone before, and even thinking about it made me nervous. I knew I was being irrational, but I couldn't help it.

Demetri grinned. He cupped my face in his hands, and leaned in. He always knew what I was thinking... He paused when our lips were just an inch apart, as if he making sure what we were about to do was really okay. I closed the distance between us in a second.

“I just- Oh my God!” exclaimed Jane. We broke apart instantly. I was horrified, and Demetri was smiling sheepishly. If I could blush, I would be beat red.

“I just wanted to know when we were leaving!” she was covering her eyes, and I could see the effort she was making in her attempts not to smile. She wasn't very successful.

I glanced at Demetri, but looked down quickly. Sometimes, I could be devastatingly shy. He took my hand.